I’m an adventurous soul who likes to explore new places, find good eats, and understand how the culture of the area influences the food. Connecting to a country’s traditions through the aromas, tastes, and textures of the food bring the culture to life for me. Cooking classes, food tours and local restaurants help uncover tidbits of the culture and customs that connect me to the people. Immersing myself into the local favorite hangouts uncorks the true essence of the culture that you won’t find in the guidebooks.
My sense of adventure and travel stemmed from growing up in many different states with cultural differences starting in Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, California, Arizona, Louisiana and now Colorado.
I grew up a vegetarian for religious reasons until the age of 17. I learned a lot about nutrition from my mother who once aired on cable TV in a vegetarian cooking series. We always had a garden though, and I learned about a balanced diet and the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Once we left that religion, the meat was on. I believe in eating foods that are closest to the way nature intended and meats that are raised on what they naturally eat.
My love for cooking and travel started at a very young age, I was always in the kitchen and even attempted breaded fried zucchini at the age of 7. It was a family tradition on Saturday night for all six of us to pile on the hide abed in the basement and watch the “Waltons” on TV. Along with this, we always snacked on delicious homemade buttery salted popcorn, what kid wouldn’t want that, right? But no, I wanted fried zucchini. My mom said, “go ahead and make it” if you want it that bad. She thought I would give up but she forgot how tenacious I am. I got the egg and the breading assembled and seasoned just right but couldn’t find the fry pan. My mom assured me it was in the cupboard but the only fry pan there was an electric skillet, and I didn’t quite make the connection that you have to plug it in. It was going to take a long time for that zucchini to cook with the electric skillet over the stove burner. My mom eventually rescued my concoction, and I finally got my fried zucchini.
Throughout high school, my sister and I baked bread every week to earn our spending money. We’d deliver the fresh baked bread on our lunch break just as my father’s weeklong training course was ending. The aroma of baked bread, fresh out of the oven delivered just before lunch was impossible to resist and not a single loaf went unsold. I’ve catered numerous conferences and club parties of 30-60 people. I’ve taken over a 100 hours of cooking classes in Paris, Italy, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Denver. My favorite way to share my love of cooking is to host small dinner parties of six to ten people and share recipes. The highest compliment to my cooking is when friends ask me for recipes which they often do.
During the pandemic and this evolving virtual world, we’re becoming increasingly isolated and have more barriers that keep us from forming bonds with people. Sharing a meal is one of the ways to transcend those barriers and find a common bond. Connecting people through food helps us get to know one another on a deeper level. While breaking bread around the table, we share our hopes and dreams and dare to be vulnerable. We find things in common or celebrate our differences we bring to the world. My hope is to inspire you to explore new places, try new recipes, and gather with your tribe to foster a deeper connection wherever that may be.